A Time For Family
by Galadriel1010
Summary: Christmas is a time for family, and the perfect time to strengthen family bonds. Jack and Ianto have lost too much to let their families slip away again. Written for Anduria Trianys, daily posting. Canon family plus a few OC extras
1. Midnight Mass

**Author's Note:** This is another of those prompted story series. It's written for Ash, Anduria_Trianys, who's been one of my dearest friends in fandom for longer than I can remember, but not as long as I think because we definitely met after Torchwood started...

Anyway, she requested 'Holiday: Meeting the Extended Family', which will come in this series.

This story falls in the middle of Not As Planned (it's a 'verse!), at the Christmas after Tosh and Owen died.

Today's Prompt: Meeting the Parents

* * *

Jack parked underneath a leafless ash tree in the church car park and turned to Ianto. "Are you sure you want me to come?" he asked again, glad that Ianto was not one to get frustrated with his need for reassurance on some things. "I don't want to get in the way..."

Ianto rolled his eyes without rancour and tugged Jack in by the front of his shirt, crashing their lips together fiercely, the gesture made awkward by the angle. "Yes, I want you there. I don't want Maria thinking I've been stood up, do I? They'll love you, I promise," he smiled more gently and stroked Jack's cheek. "You've got a family now, Mam will make sure of it."

"Okay," Jack forced himself to relax and pulled away to open the door. "It's been a while since I was in church."

"I assume you mean for a service," Ianto said, reaching into the back for the bag of treats. "Because I distinctly remember being in a church last week, and the week before, and two weeks before that..."

"I meant for a service, yes," Jack took his hand and let Ianto lead him up the path to the church door. "It's not really a church when you're chasing Weevils or... pumpkins, or lost children. It's just another building."

"Yeah, I know," Ianto agreed. "We should find more time to do stuff."

"When?" Jack asked. He accepted a service book from the pile by the door and flipped through it one-handed. "Nice carols."

"Of course," Ianto laughed. "Come on, Mam's already spotted us."

"Oh lor'," Jack followed Ianto up the aisle and finally released his hand to let him hug his mam. She was a tall woman, too tall for Ianto to be able to see over her head, and absolutely cuddly in a way that few people even Jack had met could match. Her hair was wildly curly, held back by a large clip, and still dark, but shot through with silver. Brown eyes, the same shape as Ianto's, sparkled with warm delight and love when she looked at Ianto, and it didn't dim when she looked at Jack. "Mrs Jones..." he started.

She laughed and released Ianto to hug Jack. "Has Ianto been a bad influence on you, or have you always been as polite as he is?"

"Oh, he's a dreadful influence," Jack agreed with a laugh. "I used to be a real scoundrel."

"You'll fit right in, then," she beamed. "Ianto I approve, you can keep him."

"Thanks, Mam," Ianto rolled his eyes at Jack over her head. "Jack, this is my Mam. Mam, this is Jack."

"Really? I would never have guessed. Call me Ruth, Jack."

"I'll do my best," he promised. "It really is good to meet you at last; Ianto's told me a lot about you."

"Well, at least that's one of us," she smacked her son on the arm. "He's been very mysterious."

"Oh yeah?" He grinned and wrapped his arm around Ianto's waist to stop him escaping.

"Oh yes." She mimed holding a phone to her ear. "Hi, Mam. Yes, I'm planning on being there for Christmas this year; it's okay if I bring my boyfriend, right?"

"It wasn't quite like that," Ianto protested. "It was more like 'can I bring a plus one?'... and then the boyfriend thing."

"As if it'd be any other way," she scoffed. "Now sit down, the pair of you. You're making the place look untidy."

Ianto slid onto the pew first, putting himself between Jack and an attractive, sporty redhead. "Maria, this is Jack. Jack, my cousin Maria."

"Nice to meet you," she extended her hand past Ianto to Jack. "Ianto lucked out. Do you do sperm donorship?"

Jack coughed and Ianto elbowed her. "Mine, hands off," Ianto growled. "Anyway, are you on your own this year? I thought Anton, or whatever his name is..."

"Went back to France for Christmas, his grandma's ill, or something." She shrugged. "I'm not entirely clear, but he emailed me from Paris to tell me that he was leaving the country."

"You have such impeccable taste," Ianto commented with wonder.

Maria's eyes narrowed. "I remember Susan."

"So do I," Ianto muttered. He looked over his shoulder towards Ruth and smiled. "Rhia and Johnny are here. We've just got Jennifer and Martin to come now, I think?" he checked with Maria.

"Yeah, Mum and Dad were about fifteen minutes away when I called," she checked her watch. "Should be here soon. Rhiannon's looking well."

"Yeah, she is," Ianto agreed, standing up to greet his sister. "Rhiannon, Jack. Jack, Rhiannon and Johnny."

"So the rumours are true," the bulky man behind Ianto's sister exclaimed. "You've gone urf..."

The Jones elbow had come into play again, wielded skillfully by Rhiannon. She smiled sweetly at Jack as he kissed her cheek and Ianto commented, "That wasn't a rumour, Johnny, it was a statement of fact. How have you been?"

"Glad I'm not the one at home all day with the kids," Johnny gripped Ianto's hand tightly, leaning around his wife and Jack. "You going to take them for us one day?"

Jack and Ianto looked at each other and shrugged. "We hope so. It depends what work throws up for us."

"Don't you work at the tourism board?" Johnny asked scornfully.

Ianto raised an eyebrow. "What, you really believe that?"

The organ started up at that moment and Ruth ushered them into their seats, waving to the back of the church to another couple who soon joined them. One of the newcomers, who Jack guessed to be Jennifer, has the same dark curls as Ianto, Rhiannon and Ruth, and also had Ianto's nose. The other was a lanky man with bright red hair that Maria had clearly inherited. Jack smiled and mouthed a greeting, covering ianto's hand when it rested on his thigh without looking down. Ianto shifted his fingers slightly and Jack's fitted between them.

Jack had never really had much respect for organised religion, largely because it had never really had much respect for people like him and Ianto, especially when there was an 'and' involved. He realised, though, that things had changed in recent years, and maybe it was time for him to change too. Maybe, he realised as Ianto's fingers curled around his loosely, he already had changed.

When the service finished, they hovered outside the porch before Jack and Ianto went to Alice's and the rest of the family went back to Ruth's. Snow was falling lightly, and Jack and Ianto had one arm around each other's waists, mirroring Jennifer and Martin. Ianto was explaining that they couldn't stop off, even briefly, because "we've got a long drive yet. Probably an hour before we get to Alice's, and we don't want her to have to wait up for us too long."

"I guess that's fair enough," Martin conceded, cutting off his wife. "I'll make sure they don't eat all the mince pies today, I know how you like them Ianto."

"Thanks," Ianto laughed, shaking his head. He smiled at Jack and promised, "I'll tell you later."

Jack nodded. "We'll see you all tomorrow. We'll call when we're on our way."

"You'd better," Ruth scolded. "Now go on, get yourselves to your sister's and keep her awake all night. Jones family tradition, it has to be done."

Ianto groaned and started steering Jack away. "It isn't, and he doesn't need any encouragement anyway. Merry Christmas all!"

Jack waved behind them and planted his hand on Ianto's bottom. "It might not be a Jones family tradition, but it is a Harkness family tradition." His hand was firmly removed and clasped in Ianto's own, and then he was pushed against the cold, wet car and kissed to within an inch of his life.


	2. A Friendly Warning

**Author's Note:**

Prompt: Holiday - meeting the extended family

* * *

Jack let them into the house rather than ringing the bell, which would surely have woken Steven up, and led Ianto down the corridor to the kitchen at the back of the house. Alice looked up at their entrance and smiled tiredly. "Did you flip the latch?"

"Merry Christmas to you too," Jack smiled, although it didn't quite meet his eyes. "Yes, I did, and I shot the bolt. Thanks for having us."

"No, I'm glad you've come," she shook her head. "Sorry, it's late."

"It really is, you didn't have to stay up," Jack chided. He shoved his hands in his pockets, leaning in the doorway as casually as he could, whilst Ianto put the bag of presents they'd brought down against the wall. "We could have come over in the morning."

She waved it away and yawned. "Sorry, I just..."

"Really, it's okay," Ianto assured her. "It's two in the morning. Hi, by the way."

"Hi," she smiled at him sheepishly. "Right. As you're here, you can help me finish decorating. The boxes are in the living room; I'm nearly done. You can put the gifts under the tree, too."

"End of the corridor?" he checked, picking up the bag again.

"Yeah, on the right. Can I get you a drink? Tea, coffee, hot chocolate, squash..."

"Hot chocolate would be lovely, thanks," Ianto smiled gratefully. "I don't think caffeine is quite what we need at this hour. Do you want a hand?"

"Oh..." she blinked and nodded. "Erm, yes please. Dad, can you take the gifts through? We'll come and join you."

Jack chuckled and took the bag from Ianto. "My ears are burning already."

"Moron," Ianto muttered affectionately as soon as Jack was out of earshot. He went to the fridge and got the milk out for Alice. "Really, thank you for having us. It means so much to him."

"I know," she agreed quietly. She accepted the milk from him and got a tin of hot chocolate powder from the cupboard, whilst he fetched mugs from the mug tree. "Thank you for giving me that talking to. I've been so scared of getting hurt..."

"That you hadn't noticed you were already getting hurt," Ianto finished for her. "I know, he did it to me too."

"It's a Harkness trait," she joked. "He needs you, Ianto. So... Thanks," she set the mugs on the counter and started the microwave for the milk. "It is my solemn duty to inform you that if you hurt him, and I know I'm a fine one to talk... I'll castrate you."

"Lucky for me that I have no intention of hurting him," Ianto smiled sidelong at her. "You've missed him really, haven't you?"

She was silent for a while, but nodded when the microwave beeped to signal that it had finished. "I think I blamed him for Mum's death. Which was stupid, because if she'd stayed at Torchwood she would have died decades ago... How can you stay there?"

"Because I don't know any other way to be," he said quietly.

"But you say that you want to protect him, and then you stay there in a job that's going to get you killed sooner rather than later... I feel like I should be forcing you out of Torchwood," she sighed, "It's the only way to keep you from hurting him."

He swallowed hard. "At least he knows that I'll never leave him by choice. My place is by his side, both personally and professionally. I can't leave Torchwood with half a captain."

"He'd follow you anyway... and go mad, can you imagine Dad retired?" she laughed quietly. "He'd have to take up gardening or something..."

"We'd probably travel the world. We've thought about it, actually," he confessed. "I'm still young enough to get student flights."

"How old are you?" she asked cautiously.

"Twenty five."

"Crap," she passed him a mug and ruffled his hair. "You're too young for me! Mind you, I think he's still sixteen in his head."

"Sixteen?" Ianto snorted. "I'd have gone with six. Shall we?"

"We'd better," she agreed. "Let's get today put to bed."


	3. Christmas Morning

**Author's Note:**

Prompt: Kiss Bingo: Greetings - Good morning

* * *

Jack opened one eye at the creak of the door that was his only warning and tightened his arm, bracing Ianto. A moment later there was a delighted yell, which would have catapulted Ianto from the bed if it weren't for Jack holding him down, and the mattress bounced behind them. "Uncle Jack! Happy Christ... Oops..."

He released Ianto, who had relaxed enough to try burrowing under the pillows, and flopped onto his back to demand a hug from Steven. "Merry Christmas, soldier. I've missed you."

"I missed you too," Steven muttered into his chest. "Have you and Mum sorted out your argument now?"

Jack bit his lip and nodded. "You're too smart. Sorry, you shouldn't have known about that."

"'s okay." Steven peered past him at a bleary-eyed Ianto. "Hi..."

"Hi," Ianto rubbed a hand over his face. "I'm Ianto."

"You're Uncle Jack's boyfriend?"

"Yep. You're Steven," Ianto smiled. "Nice to meet you, Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas," Steven agreed. "Are you going to marry Uncle Jack? I like weddings, they're fun. Apart from the service bit," he added.

Ianto scrunched his nose up. "You sound like my Mam. How about we just throw the party?"

"Okay." He grinned, looking startlingly like Jack, and bounced off the bed. "Mum's doing breakfast, she sent me to get something off the bed. I guess that's you two."

"I guess it is," Jack agreed. "We'll be down soon."

Ianto grunted and rolled over to bury his face in Jack's chest as Steven bounced out of the room. "He's definitely related to you. And he's your..."

"Grandson," Jack said quietly. "Sorry."

"Why are you sorry?" Ianto turned his cheek to rest against Jack's chest and played with Jack's fingers. "Really not your fault. Unless you're apologising for passing on the tendency to wake me up at horrific hours of the morning."

"It's eight," Jack checked the clock. "Just after. That's not... we got five hours of sleep."

"And I am impossibly glad that I made you let me sleep last night," Ianto muttered. "He'll come and jump on us again if we don't get up, won't he?"

"Most likely. And we'll miss breakfast," Jack added. "Don't want to miss breakfast."

"No we don't." Ianto sat up and stretched, muscles tensing temptingly under pale skin. "did you sleep all night?"

"I've been awake a couple of hours," Jack told him, flopping back into the pillows. "Come here."

Ianto sprawled next to him again and let Jack roll towards him and cup his cheek, holding him in place for a slow, sweet kiss. "Good morning," Ianto leaned in and kissed him again. "And Merry Christmas."

"It is now," Jack smiled. "Thank you."

Ianto tucked his head under Jack's chin, and Jack wrapped his arms around him. "You're the best Christmas present I ever had," he said firmly. "And I didn't even get you for Christmas."

Jack laughed, bemused. "I can't wait to see you once we get started on the brandy and the port."


	4. Boxing Day Tests

**Author's note:** This chapter toes the line on the T rating... possibly from the wrong side, but I tried to tone it down. (And I'm not sure why I'm apologising for it being porny knowing the ones of you I do know...).

The biscuits, when we get to them, have dried fruit and chocolate drops in them, making them hard to roll out. And Jack didn't add enough water.

Eyeballing services provided by my darling Ruth

Prompt: Baking cookies

* * *

Ianto pushed the door of his mum's house open and called out a greeting. "Mum, I'm home!"

Rhiannon was the first to emerge from the living room and hugged him tight. "Ianto, Merry Christmas, how was traffic? Jack, welcome to the madhouse."

"Thanks," Jack grinned at her. "I feel perfectly at home."

Rolling his eyes, Ianto pushed Rhiannon on to get a hug from Jack. "It's Boxing Day, traffic was as you'd expect."

"Absolute Hell?"

"Pretty much," he picked up the bag of presents, grunting at the weight, and glared at them both. "Jack, no flirting with my sister. Rhiannon, I saw him first."

He headed for the living room to find the rest of the family, but still heard Jack's not entirely subtle, "Well, that's us told."

Ruth was on her way out to meet them when he reached the doorway, and he put his bag down to hug her tightly. "Merry Christmas, Mum. We made it at last."

"It's good to have you home, Yan," she tugged him into the room and pushed him into a seat, taking his bag from him and bustling around to organise the gifts under the tree. "How was Christmas with Jack's sister?"

"It was lovely," he smiled and rolled his eyes at Martin when Ruth's back was turned and hoped that Jennifer wouldn't tell on him. "She's nice, and her son's cute. Much better than these monsters," he poked Mica with his toe and she stuck her tongue out at him. "Did Santa come, Mica?"

"Santa's not real, Uncle Ianto," she scoffed. "But Mum and Dad got me the new Sims game!"

He decided not to comment on her being too young for them and smiled instead. "That's cool. What else did you get?"

Jack arrived with Rhiannon and drinks whilst Mica listed her Christmas presents, and he perched on the arm of Ianto's chair to listen to the list. It wasn't a particularly excessive list, because Johnny and Rhiannon couldn't afford to treat Mica and David the way Jack and Alice, Ianto thought, spoiled Steven, but she seemed less impressed than Steven had been. He thought that maybe some of that was his fault, in the way he made up for his absence with expensive gifts. Steven clearly thought that the best present he'd had all Christmas was being able to spend it with his 'uncle', and the invitation to spend a few days with them in the Brecons.

Jack was playing with his hair absently, and Ianto leaned into his hand slightly, prompting Jack to cup the back of his head and rub it gently. Ianto nearly purred, and pushed further against his hand to lean against his side, with Jack's arm draped over his shoulder. Ruth patted the sofa next to her and stood up. "Come over here, you two. Then you can sit together and Jack doesn't have to sit on the arm. Come on."

They did as they were told and settled back into the squishy sofa, which seemed to be trying to eat them. Ianto poked the cushions. "I thought you were going to get this resprung or something?" he asked.

Ruth shrugged and waved it away. "I was going to, but it's too comfortable. We're going to have lunch at about one; have you two eaten?"

Ianto nodded and patted Jack's leg. "He did us full English. After yesterday, I don't think I'll eat for a week. It's a good job he has a good appetite."

"You're looking after my baby then, Jack?" Ruth asked with a laugh. "Because Lord knows how he coped when he was living alone. Take away?"

"Lots of it," Jack agreed. "We're on first name terms with all the good take-aways around our flat. Most days we get home too late to cook," he explained.

"I thought he worked at the Tourist Information office down on the Bay?" she asked, slightly suspicious.

Jack grinned. "He did, but I poached him for regional management. Product design and things, lots of international calls that we have to stay up for. Usually one or the other of us has an 'after hours' call to deal with."

"So you're his boss?" Jennifer asked, speaking up for the first time. "I bet you make a good team."

"He's the best administrator I've ever had," Jack agreed proudly. "And I've had enough to appreciate the importance of good administration."

"Even if you can't imitate it," Ianto teased. "He's not as bad as he makes out, really... but it would be very hard to be as bad with paperwork as he makes out. He just wants me to do it all for him."

The living room door opened again and Maria entered, wrapped up in a dressing down and with her hair mussed, bleary-eyed with sleep still. "I thought I heard your dulcet tones, Toto. Well, it was either that or a foghorn, and I didn't think I'd be able to hear that this far inland."

"Merry Christmas to you too," Ianto stuck his tongue out and blinked. "Oh! Mica, David, this is my boyfriend Jack. I forgot you two weren't there last night."

"We had figured it out," David replied without looking up from his game. "Hi."

"Hi," Jack smiled and tilted his head. "What are you playing?"

"New Pokémon game."

"Oh..." he faltered for a moment but went on gamely, "I preferred the second generation. There's something over-ambitious about the new games."

"Nintendo do seem to peak at the second generation," Ianto mused. "Although I love the Wii."

"We've only managed to use it twice," Jack pointed out. "We seriously need to spend more time at home."

"You spend a lot of time..." Jennifer started

"Travelling," Jack finished for her. "We've covered most of South Wales in the last six months, haven't we?"

Ianto nodded, thinking of spaceships over the Gower and sea monsters in the Severn. "We certainly get to see a lot."

"Has your work been affected by the tourist attacks?" Maria blinked and shook her head. "Sorry, I meant terrorist, of course your job is affected by tourists. I need coffee."

"Badly affected, yeah," Jack murmured. "We lost two of our team."

"Oh no, I'm sorry," she dropped her gaze and fiddled with her dressing gown cord. "Ianto said that... I'm sorry."

"It's okay," Ianto assured her. "You didn't know. And you haven't had coffee yet. Speaking of which..." he fished in the gift bag to diffuse and divert the conversation and brought out a bag of beans. "I bring my favourite blend. Would anyone like a coffee?"

He laughed at the enthusiastic response and extricated himself from Jack's arms. "I'll be right back. Jack, play Santa whilst I'm gone, okay?"

Jack saluted him and looked to Ruth for approval, then dropped onto the floor to start sorting through the pile of presents. He delivered them to the appropriate people, including the ones that had been left under the tree for Ianto, and even a couple for him, overnight. Most of the ones they'd brought were for Ruth, Rhiannon and the kids, but there were some for the extended family as well. Jack had insisted on being part of the present-buying committee, and that Ianto should help him buy for Alice and Steven, so everything had come from both of them.

Ianto returned with a tray of coffees when he was nearly finished and joined him on the floor, crossing his legs and setting their mugs safely out of the way on the coffee table to open their gifts. He had quite a large pile, being largely absent in his family's lives, and was not the neat unwrapper that his usual demeanour would have suggested. Within five minutes, they had nearly disappeared under a pile of wrapping paper that he'd taken delight in flinging untidily over Jack's head, and a startlingly neat pile of books, DVDs, CDs, ties and a scarf and gloves set were set to one side, next to a bottle of one of his favourite whiskeys and a set of tumblers with Celtic knotwork engraving.

Jack had received the matching decanter; the set had been a gift from Ruth, and he got up to hug her tightly. "They're beautiful, thank you."

"Ianto told me that you like to share a drink in the evening, so I thought a his-and-his set would be a practical gift," she patted his hand and smiled knowingly at him. "I'm glad you got him off the cheap lager, anyway."

He laughed and sat back next to Ianto, setting the decanter carefully next to his final present and picking it up to open it. It was a large, square box, and he peeled back the paper carefully to reveal a scrap-booking kit underneath. Rhiannon nudged him with her toe. "That's for you to fill with your life story so far," she informed him. "Seems like you want to be a part of the family, and Ianto wants you to be a part of the family, and we want you to be a part of the family, so you can go away and fill that for us to get to know you better. We'll come and look at it on Ianto's birthday. Ianto, yours is for here onwards," she smiled fondly. "I'll be checking that one this time next year, okay? I want to know all about the two of you."

"All the sordid details," Maria added. "I don't mind collecting the 18 rated version in private, or on DVD..."

"Maria," Jennifer chided. "Don't encourage your cousin."

Ianto choked and clamped his hand across Jack's mouth. "Really, it's not me you have to worry about there. Thank you, Rhiannon. I look forwards to filling it."

After lunch, which Jack had helped Ruth to finish preparing, Jack offered himself and Ianto as washer-uppers and begged the use of the kitchen for nefarious baking purposes. Ruth had laughed and pushed them out of the room, insisting that biscuits and washing up was acceptable payment for some time alone, and that they'd be left to themselves until they came back. He was filling the sink when Ianto rested a hand on his shoulder and then hugged him from behind. "Hey," Ianto said softly. "Is it all getting a bit..."

"I've not had a family since Alice was four," Jack said shortly, starting on the washing up. "It's going to take some getting used to."

Ianto released him and went to collect a tea towel to start drying and putting away. "That's okay. You're still with me, though."

"Still with you," Jack agreed, smiling into the washing up. "I don't like having to lie to them."

"Good job we're good at it, though," Ianto pointed out. "There's not really anything we can do about it until we leave Torchwood."

"No..."

"Will you tell them?" he asked suddenly. "If I die in the line of duty, will you tell them what I do? I don't want them to think of me as a victim. And I want them to be there for you."

Jack sighed and nodded. "I'll tell them. As long as you promise not to die."

"I don't intend to die any time soon," Ianto assured him. "Or do you mean ever?"

"I wish I could." He pulled away from the sink, dried his hands off on his jeans and wrapped his arms around Ianto, resting his chin on his shoulder and staring ahead with his sight blurred by tears. "I don't want to get attached to this and lose it again, Ianto. I didn't even want to get attached to you, but I did, and I'm going to lose you all too damn soon."

Ianto cupped the back of Jack's head and rubbed his thumb through his hair. "You won't lose them, I promise. They'll look after you, if you trust them. People come and go, but family and love lasts forever. I will always love you, and my family will always be there to show it. You're not alone. Please don't cry, Jack."

He huffed and wiped his tears away, then tightened his arm around Ianto again. "I'm sorry. It's traditional though, isn't it? Someone crying in the kitchen at family parties?"

"Well..." Ianto pulled away and rested their foreheads together, framing Jack's face in his hands and thumbing at his tears, brushing their lips together gently. "I don't want it to be you. Not today. Stop thinking about what's going to happen years from now, and think about what's going to happen this afternoon. We'll bake biscuits, and watch cute Boxing Day movies with my family until I fall asleep in your arms, because I always fall asleep on Boxing Day, and then you can take me home and take me to bed without your daughter in the next room. Okay? Let's look back at what we have. And then we'll go out to the house in the Beacons, and Alice and Steven will be there to see us do the Winter vow set, and we'll start looking forwards. One day at a time."

"Thank you," Jack whispered. He pressed his lips against Ianto's more forcefully and trailed his tongue along soft, full lips, but let Ianto set the pace, guiding it into something slow and passionate, up against the kitchen sink.

Eventually, Ianto slowed and broke the kiss, brushing his nose against Jack's in Eskimo kisses whilst they got their breath back and calmed their spinning heads and racing hearts, and nuzzled his nose against Jack's cheekbone. "I... I love you," he smiled and swallowed down irrelevant warnings about how far he'd go to keep Jack safe. "And I'm so glad my family like you, because I'd hate to fall out with them over it."

Jack laughed and caught Ianto's lips for one last kiss, then pushed him away and turned back to the washing up. "Thank you."

They worked quickly and in near-silence, getting through the washing up as fast as possible, and then got the work surface cleared. Jack collected the ingredients they'd bought and mixed them quickly whilst Ianto set the oven to the correct heat and had soon dumped the dough onto a floured surface, ready to roll. He rolled his sleeves up to do the rolling out, and kept half an eye on Ianto, who was watching the play of muscles with an almost hungry expression. Rolling the dough flat was surprisingly hard work, and he had to lean his strength into it.

After a couple of minutes, Ianto moved and plastered himself against Jack's back. "You looked like you could do with some help with that," he commented, resting his hands next to Jack's on the rolling pin. "Easier with two?"

Probably not, Jack though, but he wasn't going to turn down the offer, especially with a very interested Welshman pressed so close to him. "I've never tried it," he admitted. "We should experiment."

Having the two of them rolling did actually help, once they'd got in synchrony, despite the distraction. Jack collected a star shaped cutter and made two dozen biscuits, then rerolled the remaining dough and cut another dozen. Ianto was waiting impatiently for him to put them in the oven, and had bolted the kitchen door. He was on his knees in front of Jack as soon as Jack turned back from the oven, pressing him against the counter and opening his fly with nimble fingers. His large, warm hands framed Jack's hips and held him steady, and his eyes fixed on Jack, bypassing his cock and going straight to his heart. He tangled his fingers gently in Ianto's hair, letting him set the pace and losing himself in Ianto's eyes and mouth.

Jack came with a gasp that was Ianto's name when he thought it, but was mostly air by the time it left his mouth. He stumbled forwards against Ianto's hands and dropped gracelessly to the floor next to him, holding on and never letting go his first priority, followed by returning the favour in a similarly tidy manner. Ianto seemed content to cuddle as well, tidying Jack up and then tugging him up to curl in his arms, resting his cheek on Jack's forehead with just the corner of his lips touching Jack's skin. Soon the oven timer would go off to announce the presence of baked biscuits, and they'd have to get on with decorating them with melted white and dark chocolate, and Jack could get Ianto off just by the smell of melting chocolate these days, he thought. For now, though, he'd lie next to Ianto, with his head in Ianto's lap and Ianto's hands combing through his hair, feeling the minute twitches of his legs and stomach and seeing nothing but his eyes full of love and happiness and complete understanding.

He will remember this.

And he'd remember to wash his hands afterwards.


	5. Preparations

**Author's Note:**

Prompt: Candles

* * *

Ianto closed the door behind Jack and hurried up to their room, drawing up a mental list as he went. He had about an hour until Jack got back with the tree in the rented 4x4, and quite a lot to get done in that time if he was going to look like he'd been productive. It had been easy to hide the things he needed amongst the boxes and bags of food and gifts, especially once he'd persuaded Jack that the weather was looking good for sledging, but bad for being able to get to a town to go shopping. The pantry of the old farmhouse was stocked with enough food to last them through, ready for Jack to sort out when he got back.

The bags with their clothes in were still on the bed, so Ianto put them away quickly, diving the elegant oak wardrobe and chest of drawers into two halves for his stuff and Jack's. It was so nice for it to be so natural, putting their things away in their room whenever they went away together, especially this time, waiting for their family to join them. He chuckled and dragged himself out of his reflection, putting Jack's shirt in the wardrobe where it belonged and getting on with his list.

Jack arrived as he always did – loudly; Ianto hurried out of the dining room, where he'd been collecting the dinner service to give it a wash before they used it, and helped him to drag the tree down the stone passage into the living room. It was big enough that getting it into the room was slightly difficult, but they managed it and got it set up in the corner next to the fireplace, and Ianto collected the box of decorations whilst Jack put the radio on. "Our first Christmas in Wales. It's hard to believe that we're here after last year, isn't it?" he commented quietly.

Jack's large hands wrapped around his hips, and his lips pressed against the back of Ianto's neck. "It is. Nice of London to stay safe without our intervention, too."

He laughed and turned to wrap his arms around Jack's neck, kissing him languidly. "And you got my mam instead. I'm not sure that's a fair trade."

"I like your mam," Jack protested, laughing. "Although I think it's a good job she didn't believe me about getting pregnant, otherwise she'd kidnap me and forcibly detox me."

"Oh God, don't give her ideas," Ianto groaned and kissed Jack again. "Shut up. No, really. Shut up. You go and put dinner on, and I'll get started here."

"I love it when you're bossy," Jack leered at him.

"This isn't bossy, it's just organised," he insisted, bending down to collect the baubles. "And if we get this finished quickly, we can get an early night and do the rest in the morning."

They settled in front of the fire an hour later with plates of bacon pot on their laps, talking about their plans for the week. Jack had two wooden sledges in the shed at the back of the house which had been there for years now, and he'd checked and found that they were still safe. Ianto had insisted that they bring Monopoly with them, and was planning at least one night in front of the fire getting completely drunk with Alice and Rhiannon whilst Jack and Johnny watched the children. Eventually, Ianto set his plate aside and tucked his feet under himself, curling up in Jack's newly-vacated lap. Jack shifted to make them both more comfortable and started combing his fingers through Ianto's hair, which was un-gelled and growing out so that it curled softly against his collar. "I like your hair like this," Jack said quietly, even his normal boisterousness tempered by the mood. "I like you like this."

"I like this," Ianto agreed simply. "I never thought I could have this."

"After Lisa?" Jack guessed.

Ianto shook his head and took Jack's hand, holding it loosely with their fingers laced together. "Just generally. I'm not romantic..." Jack snorted and Ianto smiled. "You know I'm not. It's easy to miss out on the simple affection if you don't have the romance; there's no back door for it."

"I'm glad we took the time," Jack told him gently, brushing his fingertips across Ianto's lips. "I don't think anyone's ever understood me like you do. They've never tried."

"How did we get here?" he wondered. "What did we do right?"

"I don't know," Jack stroked his hair again and huffed a laugh. "You're falling asleep down there, aren't you? Go on, you get upstairs and I'll join you when I've washed up."

Ianto smiled, hiding it by kissing Jack, and drifted out of the room, up the creaking oak staircase. In the bedroom, he pulled the box of matches out of his pockets and set to work, keeping his clothes on until he heard Jack start up the stairs. He just had time to turn off the main light and dive onto the bed before Jack pushed the door open and stopped in the doorway. "Nice of you to join me," he smirked and reclined in the middle of the bed, stretching his arms above his head.

"I bring gifts," Jack smirked and set two mugs down on the top of the chest of drawers. "Good job, as this one's already unwrapped." He pressed a kiss to Ianto's stomach and pulled back to sit down on the bed and run his gaze over his partner's body. The soft, golden candlelight make his pale skin glow almost opalescent, and seemed to dance in his eyes and the shadows of his body, washing across him like the dust halos that surrounded the Devoni space station and lit every viewing platform in gold and silver, day and night.

"What are you thinking?" Ianto had raised one lazy hand and stroked the backs of his fingers against Jack's cheek. "I hope it was about me."

"It was," Jack pulled his jumper off over his head and tugged his long-sleeved T shirt with it, then stood up to remove his belt. "I was thinking how much I want to take you to the stars, to make love to you by the light of this semi-sentient dust cloud that surrounds a station I lived on for a couple of turns." He knelt on the edge of the bed and covered Ianto's mouth with his own, lapping gently at his lips. "You would be so beautiful," he whispered. "You're too much for the Earth to hold."

"Good job you're not of this world then, isn't it?" Ianto laughed and tugged him closer again. "Come and warm me up before the cold gets to me."

Jack smirked and reached for the candle closest to him. "You know, I know some fantastic tricks with candles..."

Ianto's eyes darkened with lust in the instant before they flickered closed, and Jack revelled in the trust they'd found to place in each other in this strange turnaround of their lives, in this house which had held nothing but pain for him.


	6. Families Tied

**Author's Note:**

Prompt: Friendship

* * *

Ianto hurried to the door and opened it to Alice and Steven. "Come in," he ushered them through the door. "The fire's on in the living room, would you like a hot drink? We really weren't expecting the weather to turn so bad so quickly. Can I take your bags?"

"I've got them, thanks Ianto," Alice smiled at him reassuringly. "A hot drink would be lovely, though. Has... your sister?"

"Rhiannon," he supplied. "They got here just before the weather descended. They're all in the living room. I'll get your drinks. Hot chocolate, tea or coffee?"

"Hot chocolate, please," she smiled and retrieved Steven from where he was hanging off the bannisters of the huge oak staircase. "Steven, coat and shoes off."

"Yes, Mum," he trundled over and smiled up at Ianto. "Hi, Ianto."

"Heya Steven, you want a hot chocolate?"

"Yes please! Can I have marshmallows?" he grinned up at Ianto and let Alice divest him of his coat, scarf and gloves.

"Steven," she chided.

Ianto just laughed and turned to head into the house. "Alice, would you like marshmallows as well?"

"Um, yes please?" she smiled sheepishly and hung their coats up on the hooks behind the door, then followed the sound of voices to the living room. Jack and two children, both younger than Steven, were sitting on the thick carpet, whilst the children's parents were sitting on one of the sofas. Jack got to his feet as soon as she entered and swept her into a hug. "Alice, I can stop worrying at last. How was the drive?"

"It got a bit... interesting, towards the end," she confessed. "You forget that I learned to drive in Italy, though; I was fine."

Jack laughed and wrapped his arm around her shoulder to introduce her. "Alice, this is Rhiannon, Ianto's sister, and her husband Johnny, and Mica and David. This is my sister Alice, and my nephew Steven."

Rhiannon smiled nervously. "Nice to meet you, Alice."

"So wait... you learned to drive in Italy, and he's American," Johnny looked between them. "How?"

"My... erm..." Alice squeezed Jack's waist and took a deep breath, hoping that the story would work. "My mum left my dad when I was four and went back to Italy to be with my Grandma, because she was quite ill. It was supposed to be temporary, but... she never went back. I lived in Italy growing up, and then decided to come to university here."

"You're got an international family," Rhiannon commented. "You're bilingual, then?"

"Quadrilingual," she corrected her. "Italian and English, French and Spanish. I teach."

"Wow..." Rhiannon started, but her brother interrupted from behind Jack and Alice.

"I hate to break up the party, but you're standing in the doorway," he pointed out politely, then added less so, "Jack, shift."

Jack held up his hands in capitulation and steered Alice out of the doorway, settling her onto the sofa nearest to the fire with a gentlemanly air for her and a leer for Ianto. "I think we've been told."

Ianto raised his eyebrows. "Sit."

Jack sat obediently, grinning whenever Ianto turned his back and adopting a serious countenance when he turned back. Mica clapped her hands over her mouth and giggled at him. Ianto rolled his eyes. "You are such a child, Jack Harkness. Your hot chocolate, ma'am."

"Thank you, Ianto," she accepted it from him and took a sip, letting the warmth curl through her. "We don't need to go outside for a few days, do we?"

"I don't think you're going to be able to, if the weather keeps on like this," Jack pointed out. "We might not get to go sledging."

"Oh, but!" David and Steven both looked up in dismay. "Uncle Jack."

Jack blinked at the fact that that had come from David, but shrugged apologetically. "We can't go sledging if we can't get out, can we? We might have to dig our way out and make tunnels in the snow."

"That would be so cool," David said, clearly impressed. "And we could make giant snowmen!"

"And a snow fort!" Steven added. "And we could have a snowball war."

"I want Uncle Jack on my team," David decided firmly. "Will you be on my team? Please?" he added quickly when his mother cleared her throat.

Jack took in Steven's disappointed expression and thought quickly. "How about Ianto and I change ends halfway through? That way you can both get each of us for a bit, and it's fair."

They thought about this and nodded. "Okay. Mira, you can be on my team, if you like," Steven said seriously. "I'll protect you."

"I'd protect her!" David protested.

"No you wouldn't," Johnny argued. "You'd take the opportunity to push her over in the snow. Let Mica play with Steven if she wants to."

Jack dropped down to sit on the carpet, next to where Ianto was sitting on the sofa, and rested his head against the other man's thigh. Ianto's fingers started combing gently through his hair, as if Ianto weren't aware of it, and Jack closed his eyes contentedly. Alice and Rhiannon were chatting about him and Ianto, and Steven, Mica and David were debating the best strategies for snowball wars, despite the fact that they would be on opposing sides. Ianto scratched at his scalp and Jack practically purred, more than happy to be exactly where he was.


	7. Snow on the Hills

**Author's Note:**

Prompt: Snowed in

* * *

Ianto was woken by a combination of the duvet lifting, the mattress dipping, and a cold body sliding into bed next to him. He grunted and flinched away when Jack pressed against his back, but Jack's arm draped over him and trapped him in place for Jack to bury his cold nose against the back of Ianto's neck. "Sorry," he muttered, not sounding it. "It's cold out."

"So are you," Ianto relented and reached back, squirming under Jack so that he could lie on his back and wrap his arm around Jack's shoulders, holding onto him. "Where did you go?"

"Just went to check the weather, see if it kept snowing overnight," he tugged the duvet up over their heads and wrapped his cold fingers in it to warm them up before they touched Ianto again. "It did, the road's disappeared."

Ianto hummed and traced his fingers lazily down Jack's side. "I was right, then? Good job we stocked up. The kids will love it."

"Of course you were right," Jack scoffed affectionately, snuggling in even closer. "Sorry, I know I'm cold..."

"It's okay," Ianto assured him, and Jack relaxed a little more to mould against him. "Makes a nice change, really."

"Are you saying I'm hot, Mr Jones?" Jack asked, with a leer in his voice even though his face was still tucked against Ianto's shoulder.

Ianto patted the top of his head clumsily and smiled down at him. "I'm merely pointing out that I had to throw the duvet off a worrying number of nights over the summer, because I had a furnace lying next to me..."

"You were lying on top of a furnace," Jack corrected him. "You don't have to sleep so close if you don't want to."

"I want to," he started combing his fingers through Jack's hair again and tugged gently. "Got too used to it in your hole, don't really want to unlearn it. Any complaints?"

"No?" Jack pushed himself up to reach to kiss Ianto, then poked his head out from under the duvet. "I should go and start on breakfast. Want to come and help me?"

Ianto sighed and pulled the duvet down to his shoulders so that he could see the time and Jack. "Yeah, okay. Shift, then. Let me up."

They dressed in jeans, long-sleeved T shirts and thick fleece hoodies to stave off the cold and pulled on their boots, despite being in the house. The old farmhouse was fully modernised with central heating and double glazing, which Jack had had installed a few years ago, but he'd preserved the stone and wood floors under rugs and they seemed to store the cold. Attractive but impractical, much like the house's owner, Ianto thought to himself fondly. Although that wasn't quite true; Jack liked to pretend that he was hopelessly impractical and pitiful, but he was much more domestically capable than Ianto, and very good at what he did at Torchwood. Not that anyone who knew them would believe that, but he knew that Jack just liked to be taken care of.

They drifted around the kitchen getting things ready to feed the hungry masses and making a start on lunch whilst they were at it. The thunder of children trying to be quiet on creaky wooden floors heralded the arrival of Mica, David and Steven, and Jack soon had them bustling around the kitchen doing his bidding and giggling at his Mrs Doubtfire imitation.

Alice joined them before long, wrapped in a thick dressing gown over fluffy pyjamas and boot-slippers. She accepted a mug of coffee from Ianto gratefully and joined him at the kitchen table, mostly out of the way of the enthusiastic catering crew. By the time Johnny got downstairs and breakfast was ready, Ianto and Rhiannon had swapped with the children, who Alice was trying to keep in order at the table, to assist Jack with hot pans and food for safety's sake.

Breakfast was a chaotic, noisy, joyful affair, with the eight of them around the table in the kitchen laughing and talking over each other, particularly the children. They were slightly out of control, but no one minded as Jack was possibly the most excited out of all of them, and his happiness was contagious, especially for Ianto. After a hastily devoured breakfast, which had Alice and Rhiannon chiding their offspring about table manners and not making themselves ill, they hurtled back upstairs, with Mica in the lead, to pile on extra layers, whilst Jack and Ianto pulled on boots and coats and went to get the sledges out.

They sent the kids hurtling down the hill on the sledges over and over again, timing David and Steven against each other in a race, and dodged snowballs in between. Within an hour they were cold and wet, faces pink from the bitter wind and from laughter. Mica was on the sledge with Steven, hurtling down the hill and screaming, with David close behind them, and Ianto wrapped his arms around Jack's waist to keep himself upright in the deep snow. Jack steaded him and, after barely a moment's pause, kissed him, sweet and hot.

Ianto sighed into it and leaned into Jack's arms, hot breath puffing across his face whenever they broke apart for air, and tightened his own arms around Jack. Snow drifted down around them, filling in the road even more and wiping out their footprints from the house, cutting them off in their own little world, away from civilisation and Torchwood and death. Just them, and the people they loved, for one week only. "This is why we fight," he whispered against Jack's lips. "For the moments like this." He pulled back and brushed Jack's wet fringe off his forehead, gaze drifting over Jack's face and finally getting caught in his eyes. "For every moment with you. That's what makes it worth it."


	8. New Year, New Vow

**Author's Note:** And this is the final chapter of this selection of stories, so I hope you've enjoyed them. There's plenty more coming, though.

To note, Gala has a cruel mind, so if you suggest ideas to her they will almost certainly mutate into plot bunnies and get written.

Thank you all, once again.

Prompt: New Year Celebrations

* * *

Mica, who had been so excited at being allowed to stay up until midnight, had fallen asleep in Ianto's lap, flopped sideways with her head against his chest and her mouth slightly open. Jack had one arm around Ianto, and his other hand rubbed at Mica's arm gently, barely conscious of it. The adults were all foggy with alcohol, apart from Jack and Alice, who seemed to have inherited her dad's tolerance levels, and had been sharing their plans for the next year and stories from the last whilst they watched the clock count down to midnight.

It was snowing heavily outside, too much for them to go out in it as Jack had wanted to, and far too much to set off the fireworks. They were well and truly snowed in now, trapped in the house until the weather thawed a bit and they could get down and make a dash for Cardiff. Johnny was frustrated at being trapped with the extended family, but everyone else was taking it in their stride for the most part.

At ten to midnight, Jack got up to fetch the Champagne and Ianto snuck out of the room behind him. Rhiannon and Alice smiled at each other knowingly, but Ianto returned quickly and dropped back into his seat, holding his finger to his lips. Jack came back with two bottles and handed one to Rhiannon. "Are we letting the kids drink?" he asked her, unwrapping the foil from his bottle.

"We?" Alice asked. "Yes, Steven can have one; one, Steven, okay? And a small one at that."

"Thanks Mum!"

"Mam, please?" David asked, kneeling up and leaning against her legs.

She sighed and nodded. "You can have a small one, but Mica's not having one."

"She's asleep," Johnny pointed out. "Not drinking anything."

Jack held one hand out to Ianto and smiled at him. "Mr Jones."

"Captain Harkness," Ianto took his hand and let Jack pull him up, then brought his other hand up to hold the mistletoe over their heads. "Would you make the midwinter vows with me?"

Jack swallowed hard and nodded. "Alice, would you take this?" he held out the bottle and she took it from him.

"You'd better be quick, because I'm firing this at midnight," she warned, smiling.

Ianto wrapped his free arm around Jack's waist and met his kiss. Johnny had woken Mica, and their family were silent to watch as Jack took Ianto's hand, holding the mistletoe with him, and rested his other hand against Ianto's cheek. He licked his lips and watched Jack, nodding for him to start.

"I, Jack Harkness, vow to be yours, and that you are mine, for this turning of the year. That in these dark days, we will be one. Through the dark days to the dawn I will be your light, your shelter from the storm, your candle in the window and your Summer's warmth."

Ianto tightened his hand and repeated, "I, Ianto Jones, vow to be yours, and that you are mine, for this turning of the year. That in these dark days, we will be one. Through the dark days to the dawn I will be your light, your shelter from the storm, your candle in the window and your Summer's warmth." He smiled and licked his lips again and said nervously, "I'd paint my love in the stars, so let the turning of the year carry us on together 'til those stars go dark."

Jack swallowed and said, with his voice choked by emotion, "I'd paint my love in the stars, so let the turning of the year carry us on together 'til those stars go dark. To the end of the universe."

There was a pop as Alice fired off the champagne cork and started pouring, followed by Rhiannon, and Ianto leaned forwards to kiss Jack gently, feeling Jack meet him with all the passion and love they were both feeling. When they broke apart, Alice handed Jack a glass of Champagne and kissed his cheek. "Congratulations, and happy New Year."

"Happy New Year, Alice," he hugged her and closed his eyes tightly, swallowing against the wave of emotion. "Thank you for being here."

She watched Rhiannon hugging Ianto, and Ianto's worried look at Jack over his sister's shoulder, and hugged Jack tighter. "There's nowhere else I'd rather be. Thank you."

They parted from the hug and Jack reclaimed Ianto, raising his glass. "Happy New Year, here's to two thousand and nine."

"Cheers!" Ianto clinked his glass with Jack's and raised it. "And to family."

They drank to the toasts and Alice raised her glass, looking straight at her dad. "To Jack and Ianto, may they be standing here and doing the same thing this time next year."

"I'll drink to that one," Rhiannon agreed. "Took you long enough to tell us, Ianto, but I'm glad you did in the end."

"Yeah, so am I," he agreed, hugging his arm tighter around Jack's waist. "You do know I just wanted to keep him to myself, right?"

Rhiannon laughed and held her glass out for Ianto and Alice to clink with. "Jack, Alice, Steven; welcome to the family."


End file.
